Caer Darrow Offensive (Raven)
|commanders2 = † †|forces1 =Low/Moderate |forces2 =Low/Moderate |casual1 =Light |casual2 =Heavy |image = |forces3 = |commanders3 = |casual3 = |date = October of 39 L.C.|side4 = |commanders4 = |armies = 2|next = |forces4 = |casual4 = |name = Caer Darrow Offensive}} The '''Caer Darrow Offensive '''was a blitzkrieg-style attack by the Scarlet Onslaught in the autumn of 39 LC. It pushed through the central Westweald via the Thondroril River, engaging Argent Crusade peacekeeping forces as they went. Relying heavily on the air support provided by their Wind Lancers, the Onslaught pushed through to the shores of Darrowmere Lake and stormed the walls of Caer Darrow, claiming the former Scourge bastion for the Onslaught. Stages Argent Crusade occupation forces in the Westweald had been stretched thin after their catastrophic losses during the Legion Invasion and the departure of many of their affiliated Silver Hand chapter back to their respective factions after the Burning of Teldrassil. As such, Crusade occupiers at sites such as Caer Darrow only numbered in the low hundreds, with the bulk of their forces holding more important sites such as Hearthglen and Light's Hope. As such, the ancient fortress drew the eye of Scarlet Onslaught leadership, seeking a foothold on the Lordaeronian subcontinent. Landfall Under the command of Onslaught Commander Dieter Falke, a detachment of Scarlet Fleet Marines and a company of elite Wind Lancers set sail from New Hearthglen aboard Abbendis's former flagship ''Sinner's Folly, ''sailing under Captain Percy Reeves. Accompanying Falke was one of the Onslaught's most elite warriors, Highlord Tahbert Wulfhart, and the Archon of the Raven Conclave, Triana Brandt. After a long voyage, the ''Folly ''made landfall on the northern shores of Lordaeron in early October, at a site they would dub Strongarm's Landing. Scouts were sent ahead and a fleet of riverfaring skiffs constructed using lumber cut from the few surviving trees and salvaged from the ''Folly's ''reserves. As of yet, the Crusade was unaware of their presence. First Blood The Onslaught's strategy was simple yet effective. Wind Lancers would fly ahead and dive bomb Argent defenses under the cover of night or poor weather, distracting and disorienting sentries while the bulk of their Marine forces sailed down the river. Usually battles would begin and end within the span of an hour. A few Argent isolated watchposts were picked off in this manner, culminating in the destruction of a small Argent garrison in the foothills east of Andorhal in mid-October. Usually these Argent posts had little more than a dozen permanent defenders, and Onslaught casualties were practically nonexistent. Battle of Caer Darrow Adhering to their tried-and-true method, the Onslaught launched the invasion of Caer Darrow in the same manner they had the smaller Argent garrisons. The full strength of the Wind Lancers was unleashed upon the Argent battlements, disabling most of their naval batteries before the Scarlet skiffs came into range. Attempts to stop the landing were haphazard at best; confirmed Onslaught casualties in this portion of the battle numbered in the single digits. Scarlet Marines had taken the northern shore before the Argents could mount an organized defense. The Argent magus Vyendoliah Saphrye was ambushed and killed by Dieter Falke, personally leading the Wind Lancers into battle. Argent commander Sir Aralt the Oathkeeper rallied the disorganized Argent defenders to the upper tier of the fortress and formed a shield wall to halt the enemy advance. His former comrade in the Silver Hand, Sir Tahbert Wulfhart, challenged him to a duel, which ended with Tahbert's defeat. However, before he could land the finishing blow, the Argent line was shattered due to the intervention of Triana Brandt. Unleashing an entity known as a "Dread Raven", she slew Sir Aralt and broke the resolve of the Argent defenders, sending them into a rout. With nowhere to go, the Argent defenders of the inner keep surrendered, and the remainder of the garrison followed suit. The entirety of the surrendered garrison was executed under the watchful eye of Katherine Falke. It is believed a handful of the garrison was sacrificed in a ritual by Brandt and Raven Priestess Tablisha Biron. Purging of Scholomance The Argent Crusade had already secured the catacombs of Scholomance, long before the Onslaught's arrival. However, some of the old necromantic defenses were once more becoming active. It is believed that a survivor or survivors of the Argent Crusade's garrison had retreated into the depths of the catacombs and began using the surviving texts in an attempt to drive off the Scarlet occupiers. The Onslaught advance party was delayed for several days by old necromantic safeguards in place within the catacombs, but ultimately they pushed through and secured the lower levels. The survivor(s), if such existed, never emerged from the catacombs. Multiple Onslaught marines were killed in action.Category:Campaigns Category:Strongarm's Onslaught